"Raise those knees, Brad, and stop sweating into the kale smoothies, Tanisha!"

There is no mental health without physical health, and there is no physical health without mental health.

Physical health is one of the two core elements of the ‘Health’ component in our w@w diagnostic tool (mental health is the other), but what does this actually mean? And more critically, am I suggesting compulsory, office-wide, early morning workouts? Does anyone really need to see Brad from accounts sweating through a set of push-ups as Tanisha the CHRO loudly hyperventilates in the corner?

Definitely not.

But every employee should have a safe and healthy work environment, adequate rest and a sense of security in their place of work, protection from physical harm, violence or the threat of violence (disproportionately experienced by women), sufficient breaks, and opportunities for exercise and a good diet.

The link between physical health and performance in the workplace is well established – healthy employees have a better quality of life, lower risk of disease, illness and injury, and increased work productivity

All of which might sound wonderful, but what does it mean in real terms for your organization? It means that encouraging and promoting a physically healthy workforce doesn’t just lead to improved employee health and wellbeing, it can increase organizational productivity.

Here are some ways you can promote physical health depending on your role within your organization.

• Every employee can: pursue a healthy lifestyle (exercise frequently, eat healthy); get between 7 and 9 hours sleep; take any time written into your contract to disconnect from work; and report any unsafe behavior or physical conditions.

• Managers can: support team-level health initiatives; encourage staff to benefit from an EAP or any available resources; prioritize safety and health; reward desired behaviors; and model the health values and actions you want to see in your team.

• Organizational leaders can: prioritize safety; review and update existing health P&Ps; replace any unsafe, unhealthy working conditions or practices; redesign the work environment for safety and health; provide safety and health education and resources; ensure effective provision for reporting of bullying, verbal abuse, and harassment; and promote leadership buy-in for safety and health programs.

And if all else fails, maybe get Brad and Tanisha to lead some team-wide, early morning calisthenics…